EGYPTIAN COPTIC CHURCH BOMBINGS - MONDAY, 10 APRIL 2017

At least 44 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in explosions at churches north of Cairo packed with Palm Sunday worshippers.

The attacks are the latest in a series of assaults on Egypt's Christian minority and come just one week before Coptic Easter, one of the most holy events in the Christian calendar.

Around 30 worshippers were murdered just before Christmas in another bomb attack by Islamic extremists at Egypt’s largest Coptic Cathedral.

Copts make up approximately 10 per cent of Egypt's population, but have been suffering increasing persecution and violence in recent years, in particular by Islamic extremists, forcing an estimated 100,000 Coptic people to leave Egypt.

An attack on any place of religion is an attack on freedom of religion everywhere. Labor expresses our support and deepest sympathy to the families of those affected and for the 100,000 Australians of the Coptic faith who are part of our community.